Parents and Administrators together helping students (PATHS), was successfully established by a conjunction of six African American parents as well as Dr. Bob McBride and Mr. Tyrone Smith, who all decided that other parents needed to be mobilized on the topic of African American achievement.

On November fourth PATHS had their first parent meeting in the Neuqua Valley Auditorium. They discussed some issues facing African American students. Based upon the need for achievement, PATHS created a workshop for students while also creating a workshop for adults.

On the Tuesday of January nineteenth, the first adult workshop was held, in which there were discussions on accessibility of academic resources, and ways to motivate a student to strive in the area of academics. On the twenty seventh of January, PATHS held a workshop for students. Along with these workshops, PATHS meets every Tuesday evenings at six o’clock pm to bring up topics such as motivation and resources, which will be essential for the success of an African American student.

PATHS hopes to see more parents and students showing up to future workshops in which topics as helpful as study skills and strategies, time management, and organization are constantly addressed.

For the future, the organization has proposed having past Neuqua students return in order to become motivational role models for current Neuqua students. As these parents and Neuqua Valley administrators give every effort towards the achievement of Neuqua Valley students, a better education is promised and an opportunistic future is in sight.

Shamil Shafi, Staff Writer

Busses take forever, causing students to be late to their first period classes. Traffic can get drivers stuck in the parking lot for extremely long periods of time. Snow can make it impossible to walk home and the biting cold air can numb students for hours.

Many high school kids question why we have school when the conditions outside are so dangerous. Most people blame our Principal for the decision, but actually the choice lies in the hands of the Superintendents. They are responsible for looking at the real weather conditions, not the predicted conditions, and deciding if classes will take place that day.

Many factors go into deciding if school should be kept in session during such weather. Some considerations are whether or not the students will be safe outside waiting for the bus or walking to school, or whether the walkways and parking lots are safe. Also, factors are, the safety of busses driving to and from school, and the safety and supervision of students who will not be in school.

The primary concern throughout all these factors is safety. If it is safe for students to get to and from school, then schools will be open. If there is too much ice on the ground, which makes it unsafe, then schools will most likely be closed.

Meghana Sharma, Staff Writer

With security surveillance throughout the halls and deans’ assistants, along with the watchful eyes of the faculty and staff, many students think that the security measures are unnecessarily tight. What students disregard, however, is that they can become a potential threat’s biggest asset. Most obvious are the doors located in Neuqua’s cafeteria that lead out to the courtyard towards Lake Birkett. Whenever someone is seen struggling to get in because the doors are locked, students, in a gesture of kindness, will get up to let them in. Whether it is another student or a seemingly harmless adult, students should not be opening doors for anyone.

“It’s the most dangerous thing you could do,” said Dr. Bob McBride. “We have a pretty solid building opening and closing protocol. There are certain times of the day that all the doors are open…but we lock those doors up in the morning and in the evening pretty quickly. The only door that should be open, both at gold and main, is the main entrance.”

The faculty stationed at doors and along hallways all serve this purpose. With the custodial staff, they dutifully check to make sure doors are locked and anyone unauthorized will have to come in through the main doors, sign in, and receive a badge. But when students begin opening doors for everyone they see, the security measures that Neuqua has carefully placed go out the window.

“A lot of times, I’ll be fumbling coming from a meeting, and very well-meaning, nice students will see me, and they’ll let me in. The first question I ask them is if they know who I am,” said McBride, “Any adult that’s trying to come in through the [locked] doors, should have keys. So really, students shouldn’t be opening doors.”

And the door safety issue is not just placed on the matter of opening them, but when students leave during the day as well. Although most students should be exiting through the main entrance, many leave through the back doors at the end of the halls where there are no adults to monitor them.

“Students should not be leaving from unmonitored doorways. It’s not so much the walking out, but who could be waiting out there,” added McBride, “It’s something we need to educate everyone about.”

Hong-Ah Do, Neuqua Media and Front Page Editor

The event theme “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was inspired by the new Beatles Edition Rock Band. There will be great food, fun, and door prizes.

The brunch is hosted by the Parent Teacher Student Association, who is in charge of all events such as the Daddy-Daughter Dance, also taking place this month.

Their goal this year was to tap into what boys like to do in their spare time, like play video games, such as the ever so popular Rock Band.

Mother-Son Brunches started in District 204, when a group a PTSA parents were upset at the fact that there were many different events for fathers and daughters, yet none for mothers and sons. They proceeded to create a brunch for the families to share special time together.

“Boys will never dance with their mothers, unless a wedding of some sort, so the PTSA decided a brunch, just a meal together with time alone would be a good event,” said Assistant Principal Lance Fuhrer.

This year they are expecting a large crowd, and have asked John G. Blumberg to be the event guest speaker.

Mother-Son Brunches have become extremely popular throughout other high schools since Neuqua PTSA added it in the 90’s. There are always functions for dads and daughters, so this is a special event for all Neuqua Valley mothers and sons who want to share some quality time together.

Meghana Sharma, Staff Writer

Heating and the air conditioning not only take 3 to 4 days to insulate the school, but they require a lot of energy and money to just get started. After the entire school’s temperature has been maintained it becomes fairly easy and cost efficient to keep the school that temperature. Because of this it is hard for the school to constantly change the temperature and if they turn the cooling off all together, the school would instantly feel like a mosh pit. The same holds true for heating. If the heating is started early and suddenly Naperville has a week of sunny weather, the whole school will feel like a heat wave hit the school and the temperatures could get unbearable. To be on the safe side, the school decides when it is safely going to be just cold in order to finally turn the heating on.

Although this is a valid point, Neuqua students feel the cold gets intolerable at times. Senior Sonam Sagger said, “I have to walk from Frontier to the Main campus every day, and during summer and fall I do not have to wear a coat outside walking from campus to campus, but I have to wear it inside because it is always freezing.” Along with that, there is a good chance that the school does it to keep students awake.

In cold temperatures it is always harder to fall asleep versus a warm room. Usually testing rooms for tests like the ACT and SAT are kept at low temperatures to keep test-takers alert and awake since the tests start so early in the morning. Keeping the school cold definitely reduces the amount of sleeping kids in classes and could very well be a reason for the freezing circumstances.

Although the cool temperatures may seem like a punishment at times, in the end it is what is deemed practical by the school and serves ulterior tasks as keeping students awake which all benefit the school.

Kim Mittal, Layout & Design Editor

He received the award not only for his superb teaching ability, but for his ability to step into Neuqua and become an immediate leader. In his first years at Neuqua, he has become a teacher who cares about his students learning and takes and active role to make sure students not only enjoy his class, but learn easily and thoroughly. Teaching at the gold building most of the day, he teaches power mechanics, and other automotive and technology classes.

During his short time at Neuqua, Zawlocki has made a major impact. When he is not coaching wrestling, he heads the Neuqua Valley High Mileage Club and is also involved with the Tech club. He also manages the new Technology and Engineering webpage and blog. His colleagues have also complimented his style of incorporating new ways of teaching and making his curriculum strong and diverse.

From all of this involvement already, Zawlocki has proven he is a hardworking teacher, who is dedicated to being a great teacher and will only continue this trend in the years to come.

Thomas Rowland, Staff Writer

This prison, located in Thomsonville, Illinois, is about 150 miles from Chicago. The possibility of bringing accused terrorists into the United States has drawn a storm of controversy and debate.

To supporters, the prison was seen as a prime choice because it is secluded in a rural area, is a super max prison, and is relatively empty.

If the government buys the prison, as is proposed, it will create as many as 3,000 jobs according to the Obama administration.

Half of these jobs would go to the local Illinoisans. The people of Thomsonville are split on the issue, but many are supporting it due to the current economic situation in the area and being hit hard by the recession, with unemployment rising within the state as a whole, and especially the area where the prison is located.

However, much criticism has come from the right wing. The Illinois Republican congressional delegation wrote a letter to President Obama stating their opposition and concerns to the proposed prison. Among chief concerns is security.

One representative, Mark Kirk, stated that he feared that “Illinois could become ground zero for Jihadist terrorist plots, recruitment, and radicalization.”

These fears, along with where the prisoners will be sent for medical care, and where the trials for prisoners will be held, were outlined in the letter sent to the president.

If the deal is made, it will have to go through congress, and Governor Pat Quinn is confident the deal will be passed before the end of the year. Without a doubt, if the decision is made to send the prisoners to Illinois, the area will be given an economic boost in a time when it is desperately needed. But the decision remains undecided among citizens.

Although there will be no noticeable change due to the high security at the prison, others want to know if this is a necessary risk for the people in Illinois.

Thomas Rowland, Staff Writer

“Historically in most schools, you can see an underrepresentation of African American and Hispanic students in the most challenging courses that schools offer,” said Dr. Bob McBride, Principal of Neuqua Valley.

Many students feel uncomfortable taking challenging courses because of the expected work load, and have not been told of the advantages. Other students do not want to take a class that has a lesser population of African American or Hispanic students.

“We looked for students who are doing a great job at college prep classes. They’re getting A’s and B’s as freshmen, sophomore, and juniors, but have not yet been encouraged from the school to step up,” said McBride.

Last Spring, the administration identified 120 students, from both the Gold and Main campuses, and convinced these selected students to take Honors or AP classes. But the lack of peer support was a major issue.

“We were able to look at master schedules, and we clustered students so that if you walk into the classroom, you’re going to see other “Upward” students in the classroom with you,” said McBride. “That makes you feel like you belong, like you have a place there, and you’ve got some peers to support you.”

“Upward” students also have the aid of 45 chosen advocates who assist students throughout the year, checking grades every few months, preparing for finals, and providing an extra go-to person. The administration and the “Upward” students and advocates will debrief the entire semester after winter break.

“As a general rule, we’re seeing a lot of solid grades,” said McBride. “We see some struggle, but that’s okay. What we ultimately want is the “Upward” culture. We have the kind of school where it is not unreasonable to say to the vast majority of our students, ‘Can you graduate taking one Honors or one AP class?’”

The administration hopes to continue “Upward” for as long as it serves its purpose well. Nevertheless, McBride does not feel the need to pressure other schools in the district to take such actions.

“It isn’t just about trying harder or working harder, but it is about how the school can support you in taking more challenging classes,” he said.

Reema Rao, Editor in Chief

To create a sense of unity, principal Bob McBride said the rotunda will feature a mural with similar themes and colors to the one at the main campus.

“When you walk out of the doors of the gold campus, you get an image of the main building, so when students walk into the future and the main campus, it’s a sense of growing up,” said McBride.

Freshmen at the Gold Campus also have a chance at choosing some of the quotes that will rim the mural along the dome.

The rotunda facelift is expected to be completed sometime between December 15th and the 31st and will definitely be looked forward to.

Hong-Ah Do, Front Page and NeuquaMedia Editor

When asked about his reason for founding the club, President and founder Sam Ide, a senior at Neuqua, said, “I have had a passion for the stock market and finance since I was younger, and I realized that there were other students around me with interests in this area too.”

In addition, when asked about his goals for the club, Ide said, “Neuqua Valley Finance Club aims to educate students interested in the stock market and the field of finance, as well as allowing us to have fun and socialize about stocks.”

The Neuqua Valley Finance Club meets every other Thursday, and the agenda typically includes discussions about the current situation of the stock market in addition to checking any updates on personal stock simulation portfolios that the members create.

The club is open for students to join at any point in the year, and does not hold restrictions as to who can join.

In addition, Ide said, “In fact, I encourage any student without prior experience to come check out the club.”

Lucas Giolas, Photo Editor